U.S. Farmers Can’t Afford to Lose Mexico Trade
The American farmer, to put it lightly, is under a lot of stress right now. A heavy combination of continued low commodity prices year over year along with natural disasters is certainly taking it's toll.
It has severely lowered farm income and that has even impacted the value of the farmer's land. The trade dispute that has been ongoing with China is also a major worry.
The very last thing the farmer needs right now, is to lose North American trade. Corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers recently joined together to announce their support for the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA) to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Agriculture’s support for USMCA makes sense. Mexico and Canada account for 25 percent of all corn exports, and in 2016 alone, this market generated $4.1 billion in economic activity and supported 25,000 jobs and 300,000 farms.
For corn farmers, USMCA will solidify a $3.2 billion export market and provide some certainty as farmers begin the hard work of planting and harvesting their crop.
Withdrawing from the existing NAFTA agreement, closing the U.S.-Mexico border, or implementing other policies that jeopardize the future of this important economic partnership, would be catastrophic for farmers.
The National Corn Growers Association continues to press members of Congress to ratify USMCA this year. Farmers can send a message to their representatives in Washington online.